







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | |
| He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | |
| Well, that's another problem! | |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | |
| Is that what you want me to do? | |
| What else do we need? | |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | |